Wheeling Central Catholic delivered a dominant performance from start to finish, defeating Wayne 71-35 in the WVSSAC Class AA Girls Basketball State Tournament Quarterfinals at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.

The Maroon Knights wasted no time taking control. Bella Fitzsimmons opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the corner, sparking an early run that put Wheeling Central ahead 16-6. The Knights continued to build momentum late in the first quarter as Haley Sevrance cleaned up a miss in the paint, helping Central carry a commanding 22-6 lead into the second quarter.

Wayne briefly answered behind Lexie Blankenship and a strong performance from Jace Salmons, who finished with 14 points to lead the Pioneers. But Wheeling Central’s offense continued to fire on all cylinders. Addie Peyton knocked down a three from deep while Seneca Heller orchestrated the offense, finishing with 11 points and 10 assists as the Knights pushed the lead to 42-18 at halftime.
The second half belonged to Central as well. Haley Sevrance led all scorers with 20 points, while Erin Maxwell added 16 points and Fitzsimmons finished with 15. The Maroon Knights’ balanced scoring attack and defensive pressure helped stretch the lead to more than 30 points in the third quarter.

With the convincing win, Wheeling Central Catholic advances to the Class AA semifinals, where the Maroon Knights will face the winner of Williamstown vs. Philip Barbour.

Final Score: Wheeling Central Catholic 71, Wayne 35
Event: WVSSAC Girls Basketball State Tournament – Class AA Quarterfinal
Location: Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center